1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wine bottle opening device. More specifically, the invention relates to a fixed device designed to remove a cork from a bottle.
2. Description of Prior Art
In recent years, the consumption of wine in this country has increased dramatically. Americans are purchasing more wine for home use and, more significantly, are ordering wines when they dine out. As a result, many more restaurants are providing wines with their bill of fare.
Traditionally, a bottle of wine was opened at the restaurant guests' table by a wine maitre'd. The huge increases in purchases of wine at less prestigious restaurants has required ordinary waitresses to open bottles at the guests' tables. Due to the difficulty of removing a cork from a wine bottle and the necessary expenditure of time, many restaurants have found it more efficient to open the bottles in the kitchen. The bottles are ordinarily opened in the kitchen or at the service bar by someone stronger than the ordinary waitress.
The devices used in the kitchen are often the same corkscrew device that a waitress would use at the guests' table. Basically, the device requires the insertion of a corkscrew into the upper surface of the wine bottle cork, and then, by use of manual labor, the pulling of the cork out of the bottle. Due to an uneven insertion of the corkscrew and resultant force applied to the cork, pieces of cork are separated from the main body and drop into the wine. Sometimes a portion of the cork can remain in the bottle while the upper portion is removed.
There is thus a need to provide a corked bottle opener which eliminates the excessive manual force presently needed. There is also need for a device which can quickly and efficiently position a corkscrew so that it can accurately enter a cork and remove it with minimum effort.